Australian Grand Prix Melbourne, 15th March 2015

“They did not play the Italian anthem on the podium, but we can be very pleased with this weekend. It’s a shame that a small mistake prevented Kimi from finishing the race but, in general, it was a very “clean” weekend. The most important thing is we have a good car, a real platform from which to carry on working. So thank you and congratulations also to the people who have worked hard in Maranello, as well as those here in Australia. Without them, this result would not have been possible. The start was not the best, there was too much wheelspin and when I tried to hold the inside line, my tyres were still too cold. We had a great race strategy, which allowed us to jump the Williams, which had a good top speed, at our one pit stop. Now we must confirm our performance in the coming races and then, one step at a time, let’s hope we can begin to close on the Mercedes. The gap is still big, but of all the teams, I think ours is the one that has improved the most over the winter. For a long time, I’ve dreamed of driving for Ferrari and it’s happened at the right time. I drank the champagne on the podium and I kept some for the guys in the team, because they told me they like it a lot… Thanks also to the fans. We have a great car, not just for qualifying but also for the race. Let’s hope we can get on the podium again and maybe even get a few wins!”